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pwiipi^^
•VI
,1 f :. h.
. ..■:■. - " ■'-'• ' ■ i. " ;•> v ." "'' "' .. A" *&%??**<$
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PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY THEtpHOTEAU PUBLISHING COMPANY.
VOL.1
CHOTEAU, M. T., JfANUARY 1; 1885.
NO. 2.
FOETK/Y.
MY DORA!
§jct others rave of beauteous matds,:
Ot ro»e-bnd month and tenth like pearls, t
Qfdiini>ledch«ekstu)d flashing eyes— .
ugBeh itanning airlar*
My Dora la her simpleid-ma,
Hy Dot* (whom may heaven blew!)
la good ftaoamh for me.
My Dor* h— noaaal-akin eaeojie.
No forty^oUar Paris bonnet;
Ajie wears a little tuned ap he*--
AfesMMronit.
The JerseyJaeket aoft and wunra,
That hags ao tight her pretty tone.
la good enough for me.
Let other girUaew«raavqallte
And oofer -ro*ulng-pina with plnah.
Kmbtmider unknown breeds ot dogs—
And—let 'em •'goahr'
Xhn .home ^nade bread my'Dora make*,
Tlio cod-fish balls, the bnokwheat oak**-.
Aro good ononith for me.
Bliti does not know the latest erase
In «ouf!», or fnuoy work, or "g«rmnn«,'*
Hut sho oan work ''God bless our homo"
And preach mo scn-mont- I :'
HUc does not bang hor hair or fuzz it;
Anil yti- tho simple way sho "doe*" it .
In jjood enough for me.
Aud when Hheloarot- Ihis world below
Ami journeys to tho unknown land.
I only ask that 1 may ko
And hold lir-r htuul,
I Khali not fu.ir, for thi* 11 jiow.
Tiiut any piano where Dora']) «o
In good -juongh fur m«.
Selected Miscellany.
| GHOST STOHY.
Sitting one evening with a young officer
who had already made himself distinguished for cool courage and a love of adventure, and. whom his brother soldiers
considered the best pistol shot in the army, the conversation happened to turn
upon .the almost universal belief in the
supernatural.
We discussed the genii of the tales of
the East, the; witches and ghosts So generally accepted a century ago, and the
Spiritualists of to-day. •" Suddenly F.
turned to me and said: "Perhaps you
may ba surprised if I tell you a trno ghost
story, ono I can .vouch-for myself?"
;: Jfrowin^him-to'^
' uiK«b-uTt'B*ape^{RuraTsnbje^r-^Tr«mU*A^
ly assented.
- "You need not smile,"- he continued,
• "my experience was enough to shako the
nerves of the bravest, nuin living, und to
httve rendered a timid one mud." •
"Somo six or seven years ago, shortly
after graduating from the military academy at West Point, I was sent with my
command, purt of n company of heavy
artillery, to take possession of the little
fort on Bedloe's island, in tho harbor of
New York; tho island you will remember,
on which Bartholdi's statue of Libert}* is
to be plnocd. The plaoo had been long
deserted, hud acquired an evil name, wu6
known to be the resort of thieves imd
smugglers, und, the New York police said,
was the headquarters of agang of river
pirates. It was, indeed, to break up this
nest ot scoundrels, who had found that',
being United States property, the old
fort was never visited by the police, that
I was to take possession of the island.
"It -was a gray, raw day in November;
rain had fallen early in the afternoon,
and, when the boats containing1 my little
command reached our destination, a cold
fog hung over the harbor and the rising
wind howled about the old barrack, adding: to the gloom and mcreasing the
dreary desolation of the mildewed old
walla. It was - already three o'clock and
daylight beginning to fade, so I made the
necessar)- preparations for the night as
rapidly as possible. Inside the tiny fort
there was a house, but in so delapidated
• state that but one room—a large one,
which had probably onoe served asn
mesa room—was habitable, and this the
bare floor, broken ceiling and walls from
.which the paper hung in ragged strips
made uninviting enough. In this, how-
- ever, being the best, my trunk was placed,
a stove put up, which was soon roaring
in a cheerful way, a lamp lighted, abed,
bedding, n table und two chairs brought
in, and I started on n tour of inspection.
I had told my sergeant to prepare the
quarters for the men in a long, low building outside the fort, which seemed in
fairly good condition. Soldiers nro rapid,
because systematic, workers, and before
nightfall all were made comfortable, and
a supper served to them, which did cred
it to the company's cooks. I visited and
^yotod every part of the island—a
J^^fP^intheliarbor.as you know—
into the old casements, went
looked
through the ruinous old house from cellar to attic, examined bolts and doors,
then, having given orders for the night,
closed the great gnto leading into tho fort
and retired to my quarters.
"I certainly niri.not either a timid or nn
imaginato man, but there was something
to the last degree depressing in the place
that night The wind, which had driven
away tho fog, howled and mourned in the
deserted place; the ruts trooped up and
down within the partition walls, and there
rose a strange, earthy smell, which, ter
minded me, I sonrco know-Wny, of new-
made graves. Now and then some sea-
bird's scream could be heard, or the distant roar of the fog horn of some passing
ship was added to tho sighing and groaning of the wind. I sat down und read the
one or two newspapers I chanced to have
in my pocket, wroteonta few memoranda,
then opened my trunk, lifted out the I ray,
which I placed upon tho little tuble, put
a number of articles of daily use .on a
shelf, and then, although it wns still
early, not more than 10,1 believe. I made
my toilet for tho night, turned out the
lamp and jumped into bed. I had placed
my pistol, n self-cocking Colt of tho largest size, under my pillow, but no sooner
was the lamp out end nil was dark than
the tales told by the New York police
came forcibly to my mind, and I almost
regretted not having posted a sentinel inside the little fort. Then I felt like
laughing at myself for such absurd apprehensions. Still I could not sleep. I
was just dozing off when a rat skurrying
along or the wild scream of some passing
sea-gull would rouse me with n start to
toss and fret for another quarter of an
hour.
"At lost Bleep esmo; culm, peaceful,
dreamless sleep. How long I slept I
have no idea; perhaps 'for an hour, perhaps for two. Then, from within my
very room, of which I had seen every
window barred, overy door bolted nnd
locked, there came a long, low, moaning
cry, ending with a shriek so horrible, so
ghastly, that I am not ashamed to say
that, ns I rose in my bed, my heart seemed
to stop for n moment and my hair rise,
stiffening on my bend."
.. v *'It;wn9 but for w, a moment. .«At faint
light—Jronx .the Iw-ming' inooh otuhe m
through the shutters, und, as Irene there
rose across the room a long, white figure!
What? I saw it start from the floor and
grow to a mnu's size or nioro mid, as I
gazed, board thut dreadful shriek! What?
No matter. It wns something, and with
its presence returned all my uoinh-itive-
ness and anger; hot, fiery wroth was my
only feeling."
" 'Somo scoundrei,' said I to myself, 'is
playing me a trick. Some of those
pirate-smugglers have arranged a. ghost
for me, huve they? Well, we'll see who
can piny ghost tho liest!'
"As I rose I had tnken my six-shooter
from under tho pillow, nnd now I called
out: 'Who are you? What are you doing
there, you scoundrel? No reply. 'Who
ore you? Answer, or Til shoot.' Still
there whs silence. My pistol wns pointed
a little above the center of the figure, nnd
again I cried; 'Answer, or TU shoot:'
No answer came, and I pulled tho trigger. I was sure of my aim, but yet the
bullet seemed to bury itself harmlessly
into the-wall beyond. Lowering my aim
I sent another bell somewhat lower, nnd
then n third, almost to the ground. Still
the figure neither moved nor si>oke. There
it stood, white, ghastly, and uninjured by
lead. As the third shot left my pistol I
leaped from the bed nnd rushed upon the
shadow form. A box of cartridges lay
upon the table and these I thrust into the
breast pocket of my night-dress. Cocking my revolver as I ran, I tried to seize
the intruder with my left hand, flinging
myself with all force upon him.
"Horrors! An instant later I was
thrown down, down. I knew not how
far or where. The floor seemed to. havo
opened and swallowed mo up. With a
crash I came to the bottom of the pit,
bruised, bleeding and in utter durkneaa.
"Confused, half luiconscions, I straggled to my feet, and once more there
came, first tho moaning cry, and then the
dreadful scream which had roused me
from my sleep.
"You know how littlo superstition there
is in my nature—somo say, indeed, too
little, for it is difficult for me to believe
in anything not patent to the senses; but
at that moment there crept into my soul
a grizly fear of something not of this
world. A shudder ran through my frame.
I could feel my eyes dilate and open, to
their utmost, and a sweat cold as kw,
mingled from my btoj with the., blood
trickling from my wounds. All wns still
as death. I tried to/'shout; my thront,
dry, parched and contracted, refused its
office. No sound cuiai- to break that
horrid silence. I fcfniiii€>d my eyes into
the black olisenirity-which enoompiissed
them with a dHrknessWluoh could be felt,
which pressed nponird, which seemed to.
hold ms, breathless, ::.!in its infcmul em-,
brace. A* void; vaeftMthe universe, narrow as the tomb.^^ shuddering feet
stood upon a mmetlAg dark,, dark and
cold as if they '•*este-|j*pon a nest of ser-
pents; above, sroiind^k silent pall of urn
utterable obscurity^; My elbow touched
the wall, I.stnrtod,i*if stung by a scorpion or as if ghostl^rrnds had seized me
from the nameless ^mystery which Iny
around. My- heart Estopped nnd then
Kent the blood whiijiiig to* the brain in
sickening force. W^Imad? Was this
a fever-born drctun'r^
"Some dreadful ill-fig. cold, slimy, ns
was everything in.^his hideous place,
crawled or wrigglcdifjoiii under snd br-
side n-j feet. Spotted und >',r«en begun
to dunce like deni'in^oves •:» tho distanco
- formed p:obiibry.*by pressure of the
blood upon UiebrainjHn'l nerves.
"I have twice or thrice since then faced
whut seemed iiko prco-dilc death without
much feeling about,th*e. mutter, but the
foe waa visible, tangible; not it hidoous
void liko. thnt I faced ' rhr.t November
night. vlVj-,
••A.-jain I tried; to cidl onl, and this time
a faint, hoarse soiui|t,. which seemed to he
tho voice of another,^issued from my lips.
"I had struck my'head violently in the
rapid descent, bntigradually my senses
returned and drove off the nameless
dread, only to raphico • it with n feeling of
helplessness, ahno&f of despair. Tho air
-«-as bitterly eold, cold with a vuiUt-liko
chill which stiffened my limbs (clad ns I
was only in a siii^lfb'nen garment) to tho
bone. But, with ~thq return of thought
enmo tho bettor fooling of a wish to at
least struggle for%.cxistenee. I tried to
collect my ideas, tp'in some manner explain how tho strange ..thing could possibly have happenodi, It was till like reasoning around i^'cirjlri
"What. 4ia«^jSii.iii^.niy roomV How.
camo it thero? What bad* jt done, to me?
How could I possibly huve gone through
the floor? Where had I gone? 'Jlirongh
whet agency? Ho back again, to who had
been in my room? How came it thero?
and so on through the round again. Tho
more I thought the more inexplicable
became the whole affair, but nt least I
could now think not ::hiver in nameless
terror."
"I knew not where I wns, but I felt
sure that no sound I could make would
reach the men, nli of whom were outside
the fort. Even front the ground floor
room it was quite ccrt'iiu thnt. especially
on Biieh a night with, tho waves beating
against the sides of the islet, no mero report of it pistol could lie beard ut such n
distance.
•'Where coiUd I l>e? Was this some
trick of tho thieves who had held tho deserted fort so long? It was dark only ns
a windowleKs vault can lie even at night.
No one ray to show me if the place were
large or small - a cellar or u well. By
what possible agency could I have been
thus hurled into the pit? I had paced
over the whole room und there certainly
wns no opening in the floor unless it had
lieen most carefully nuisked. Besides
this. I felt suro that my fall had been
mnch greater than the distance from tho
room I slept into the cellar. My brain
was still somewhat clouded by the blow
my head hail received, snd,. which I
thought had been struck just before my
fall, or rather, before my being violently
thrown downward.
"Fortunately my pistol was still in my
hand imd the bos of cartridges in my
pocket I felt carefully for the wall,
placed my buck against it and, determining to sell my life dearly if attacked,
waited a moment in silence. All was
still. Tailing the box ns noiselessly as
possible from the pocket of my night
shirt I reloaded '.ay pistol. Still nothing.
But I Mils freezing. Tlie slimy stones
beneath my bare Teet were rapidly chilling my blood. If I fire iny*pistol; I
thought. I may see where T uiit. I fired
twice.
'•It wiis the cellar which I had already
visited! I had only, then, fallen 10 or 12
feet. I at once remembered that to this
cellar there was a door leading1, by an external flight of stone steps to the ground
in front of the room in which I had slept
Another shot showed me the door, on
which, however, there was a heavy old-
fashioned lock without a key. Half a
dozen shots from my revolver broke the
rusted iron--nnd I wns free!'
-"Covered -with blood and slime, I stood
at lougth beneath tho stars; my head
ached violently, my teeth cluittcred with
cold, but I wns free! O, delight, of that
moment! Free!
."My first feeling was that it was my
duty to call some of the men and search
the house; hut that I could not bring myself to do. No. I must not be seen by
them in such a plight nor must they
come until I had aolved the mystery. My
own outer door was too securely bolted to
force open; but, making my waythrough
another entrance, I easily blew the look
off on inner door of .communication.
Grasping my pistol tightly, I cautiously
entered. There, directly across tho room
wns the figure!
**B:ing! bang! imd I sent two more
bullets crashing through it. Whatever it
was, it certainly "was no living thing. H
not, what then? What or who hud
struck mo that blow?. What hud opened
the solid floor and cast me into the pit
btneath? With eye and c. r upon tlie
alert, ready for foe. linra;**i or other, I
reached tho table where the lamp stood
und folt for u mutch. None. But.I had
some in my pocket. My clothes were
upon tho other side of the bed. I went
slowly around, found tho matches, came
back to tho table, and, keeping my pistol
in'my right hand, removed the globe and
chimney of the lump, struck n light, took
u hurried look shout tho room, put the fire
to tho wick, replaced tho chimney, snd
turned again to that white mystery.
"There it stood; but what it was I could
not even guess: • Ono thing was certain, it
had not been thero when I went .to bed.
In the light it looked like a great white
l)ox some ten feet high, open on the sides,
and standiug ugainot tlie wall opposite
tho foot of-my bed. Taking up the lamp
I wnlkcfd towards'it. What is thnt on
top? By'hoavens, it iB my trunk!
"What do you think tho ghost wns? It
was: nn old, wlute-painted dumb-wniter
loading to the former kitchen. My trunk
hud chanced to lie placed directly on its
top, which was level with nnd formed
p:irt:of the fiOoe: The jur -nnd ithfifoot-
stops'hadlooscneditsoldwoights. I bud
taken the. tray of clothes from tho trunk,
mid the dumb-waiter, gradually loosened,
h:'d tuiot up, us such filings will ut times
do a conplo of hour-* later. It had long
been disused and the shelving removed.
When, therefore. I rushed ut it I hnd
simply fnMcn into v. hole, somo three feet
by two in tho floor between the clova-
tor'n sides; hud ut nick tho Itottom board,
the iiiac'hini- bad gone down with me.
and, my weight n-inovcd, hnd again risen.
I had knocked my head against some
corner as I fell, hnd come down very hard
on the stono paving iu the former kitchen,
had cut myself on somo projecting edge,
for 'there were two pretty bad places
from which the blood still dripped—nnd
that was my ghost: that tho mysterious
agency which had 'hurled' me into that
•awful' pit
"Did you ever hear of a ghost doing
more? I never hoard of one who could
do half so mucli.
''But'* just think if I hnd gone, barefooted and bedraggled, railed up my men,
and led them on to combat with—an old
white duinb-waitcr!"
A Ghastly Hanging;.
London*, Nov. 30,- A ghastly nnd up-
paling spectacle was witnessed at Norwich to-day. Robert Goodule, n market
gnrdner, who was convicten of tho murder
of his wife, wns brought out upon the scaffold to bo hanged. The culprit since his
incarce**ation had grown fat und weighed
fully. ,210 pounds. After the death warrant had been read nnd everything made
ready, the drop wns sprung and the condemned mnn fell n distance of six feet—
His heavy weight caused the drop to re-
Itound violently, jerking tho head completely off the body. The headless trunk,
together with the head, fell, upon the scaffold, the blood spurting und gushing in
all directions. The severed head lay at
thu feet of the victim, tho muscles of tho
face contorting in a most'hideous manner,
whilo the eyelids ojiencd and closed a
number ot times. Altogether the sight,
was most sickening. The coroner's jury
exonerated the hanginnn from nil blame.
The doctor present stutcd that tho horrible death wns far more merciful than
strangulation
"Struck down," as the barber said
when he shaved the first r>rop of fuzz
from a youth's chin.
CALUMETS.
"What I Told My Wife," is tho title of
a new book. It is almost needless to say
that it is fiction.
"Good gracious," said the hen, when
she lusoovered tho po-rcelain egg in her
nest "I shall be a bricklayer yet." -:
New reporter to city edito***—"Please let
me have, a synonym for /everlasting?*"
C. R-"Certainly, make it Tlianksgiving
tuikey."
They kiss by the aid of the telephone in
Macon, Ga. That may do for the isunny
South, but in the frigid North -more aub-
stanee is required. * '
"Waiter, bring -me somo rice pudding.**
"Boss, I can't just -recommend the rice
pudding to-dsy," "What's the matter
with it?" Nuffin, 'cept ,dar ain't none,"
A fashion item soys that great discretion
must be used by- wearers,of horisontsl
stripes, as they are not becoming to any
but very toll and slender figures.- Parties
contemplating a residence in the penitentiary should paste this in their hnts.-i •
"My dear," said Mr. Smith, I have just
insured my life for 810,000." "What did .
you do that for," asked Mrs. Smith. "Oh
jnsf for a bribe." "And who do you ex-
pect to bribo?" "I don't,know. 'Any fool
who will mary you after I am gone ought
to bo well paid for it." • , '■<
Joquiii Miller, telling how he and Bret
Hurte stood at the grave of Dickens, says:
"His left hand sought mine in silence, and
his eyes fill edwith tears. We had. never
lieen friends before." But that wasn't the
most wonderful part of it After Bret and
Joquiu went away Dickens got out of, his
grave and cried too.
•'Step right .into the parlor and make
yourself at home," said the nine-year old *
son of the editor to his sister's best young-
man. "Take the rooking chair and help
yourself to the'album. ' Helen' Louise is
up stairs and won't be down for sometime
yet. Has to make up her form, you know
beforo going to press." '
"Huvo you two fives for. a ten," asked a
well known man about town to Justice
Prindiville, whom he met on tlie way to
court. ''Certainly I have; I can change it
for you," roplied the1 genial judge. " Oh,
but I haven't got the ton," replied the fellow. *'I thought it youhadj^wo fives, you
could spare one of them until to-morrow."
A Binghampton couple stood liefore' u
Court street, Jeweler's window tho other
ovenuig, when tho young lady remarked;
" Gawgie, don't you think there is something porfectly lovely nliont thoso clocks?"
"Wlint do you admire so much about
them?" he. asked. "Why, don't >->u see
they—they name tho day." Tlw future
will tell if Gnwgio tumbled.
"Has this been what you nir.y term a
profitable season?" ho asked of the landlord of u seaside resort hotel tho other day.
"Well, yes, but why do you ask?" " f)h.
I mn tin insurance agent and my ».or->->:i!.y
has n risk on this building," was the reply. "But what of that?" "Nothing, only
I shall report that there is n likelihood of
this house escaping n conflagration this
sensou."
Ho "I told Mr. Bluff what you said,
Clnru -that you felt really insulted that'
he should come into your presence in his
shirt sleeves." 'Tra sorry you told him.
It is needless to make the poor fellow feel
badly about it I don't imagine he thought
about his appearance. But what did he
say?" He "Oh. he said ir had known
you objected to shirt sleeves he should
have rolled them up out of sight"
"I beg your pardon, sir, said Mr. Swell
to a friend, with whom he was holding a
heated conversation. "I lieg your pardon
I ought to understand this matter bettor
than you. I am a graduate of two colleges, sir." "You remind me," replied his
friend, "of the calf that my father used to
own, that had tho milk from two cows."
"Why, how was thnt?" "Ho was u very
large calf."
•'I hnve traveled u good deal in my
time," remarked nn elderly man. "I
have boon in railway uccidents, explosions,
battles, the craters of volcanoes, Kansas
cyclones iind African simoons, but never,
no, never, did I h-ivo my breath knocked
out of me und my --reuses so completely
dazed nt» they wero a few minutes ago.'
"How did it happen?" "Why. I gavo tho
sleeping car porter a quarter iind asked,
for 15 cents change. The look he gave
mo mude mo seasick."
Coiuisel: "Your age?" Young lady
(bashfully); "Oh, I hardly liko to tell
you." Counsel: "Yet I must insist on
knowing it Pray tell me how old you
were ten years ago?" Young lad v (cheerfully): "On, 2a" .
■^f'-~.
-*"-•■?*'

These images are intended for scholarly/educational purposes, private research, and study. Use of these materials is governed by the Fair Use clause of the 1976 Copyright Act. Written permission may be required for use and/or reproduction from the copyright owner. Please also see the Montana Memory Project's Copyright Statement and Conditions of Use at: http://cdm15018.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm4/about.php

These images are intended for scholarly/educational purposes, private research, and study. Use of these materials is governed by the Fair Use clause of the 1976 Copyright Act. Written permission may be required for use and/or reproduction from the copyright owner. Please also see the Montana Memory Project's Copyright Statement and Conditions of Use at: http://cdm15018.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm4/about.php

pwiipi^^
•VI
,1 f :. h.
. ..■:■. - " ■'-'• ' ■ i. " ;•> v ." "'' "' .. A" *&%??**ledch«ekstu)d flashing eyes— .
ugBeh itanning airlar*
My Dora la her simpleid-ma,
Hy Dot* (whom may heaven blew!)
la good ftaoamh for me.
My Dor* h— noaaal-akin eaeojie.
No forty^oUar Paris bonnet;
Ajie wears a little tuned ap he*--
AfesMMronit.
The JerseyJaeket aoft and wunra,
That hags ao tight her pretty tone.
la good enough for me.
Let other girUaew«raavqallte
And oofer -ro*ulng-pina with plnah.
Kmbtmider unknown breeds ot dogs—
And—let 'em •'goahr'
Xhn .home ^nade bread my'Dora make*,
Tlio cod-fish balls, the bnokwheat oak**-.
Aro good ononith for me.
Bliti does not know the latest erase
In «ouf!», or fnuoy work, or "g«rmnn«,'*
Hut sho oan work ''God bless our homo"
And preach mo scn-mont- I :'
HUc does not bang hor hair or fuzz it;
Anil yti- tho simple way sho "doe*" it .
In jjood enough for me.
Aud when Hheloarot- Ihis world below
Ami journeys to tho unknown land.
I only ask that 1 may ko
And hold lir-r htuul,
I Khali not fu.ir, for thi* 11 jiow.
Tiiut any piano where Dora']) «o
In good -juongh fur m«.
Selected Miscellany.
| GHOST STOHY.
Sitting one evening with a young officer
who had already made himself distinguished for cool courage and a love of adventure, and. whom his brother soldiers
considered the best pistol shot in the army, the conversation happened to turn
upon .the almost universal belief in the
supernatural.
We discussed the genii of the tales of
the East, the; witches and ghosts So generally accepted a century ago, and the
Spiritualists of to-day. •" Suddenly F.
turned to me and said: "Perhaps you
may ba surprised if I tell you a trno ghost
story, ono I can .vouch-for myself?"
;: Jfrowin^him-to'^
' uiK«b-uTt'B*ape^{RuraTsnbje^r-^Tr«mU*A^
ly assented.
- "You need not smile"- he continued,
• "my experience was enough to shako the
nerves of the bravest, nuin living, und to
httve rendered a timid one mud." •
"Somo six or seven years ago, shortly
after graduating from the military academy at West Point, I was sent with my
command, purt of n company of heavy
artillery, to take possession of the little
fort on Bedloe's island, in tho harbor of
New York; tho island you will remember,
on which Bartholdi's statue of Libert}* is
to be plnocd. The plaoo had been long
deserted, hud acquired an evil name, wu6
known to be the resort of thieves imd
smugglers, und, the New York police said,
was the headquarters of agang of river
pirates. It was, indeed, to break up this
nest ot scoundrels, who had found that',
being United States property, the old
fort was never visited by the police, that
I was to take possession of the island.
"It -was a gray, raw day in November;
rain had fallen early in the afternoon,
and, when the boats containing1 my little
command reached our destination, a cold
fog hung over the harbor and the rising
wind howled about the old barrack, adding: to the gloom and mcreasing the
dreary desolation of the mildewed old
walla. It was - already three o'clock and
daylight beginning to fade, so I made the
necessar)- preparations for the night as
rapidly as possible. Inside the tiny fort
there was a house, but in so delapidated
• state that but one room—a large one,
which had probably onoe served asn
mesa room—was habitable, and this the
bare floor, broken ceiling and walls from
.which the paper hung in ragged strips
made uninviting enough. In this, how-
- ever, being the best, my trunk was placed,
a stove put up, which was soon roaring
in a cheerful way, a lamp lighted, abed,
bedding, n table und two chairs brought
in, and I started on n tour of inspection.
I had told my sergeant to prepare the
quarters for the men in a long, low building outside the fort, which seemed in
fairly good condition. Soldiers nro rapid,
because systematic, workers, and before
nightfall all were made comfortable, and
a supper served to them, which did cred
it to the company's cooks. I visited and
^yotod every part of the island—a
J^^fP^intheliarbor.as you know—
into the old casements, went
looked
through the ruinous old house from cellar to attic, examined bolts and doors,
then, having given orders for the night,
closed the great gnto leading into tho fort
and retired to my quarters.
"I certainly niri.not either a timid or nn
imaginato man, but there was something
to the last degree depressing in the place
that night The wind, which had driven
away tho fog, howled and mourned in the
deserted place; the ruts trooped up and
down within the partition walls, and there
rose a strange, earthy smell, which, ter
minded me, I sonrco know-Wny, of new-
made graves. Now and then some sea-
bird's scream could be heard, or the distant roar of the fog horn of some passing
ship was added to tho sighing and groaning of the wind. I sat down und read the
one or two newspapers I chanced to have
in my pocket, wroteonta few memoranda,
then opened my trunk, lifted out the I ray,
which I placed upon tho little tuble, put
a number of articles of daily use .on a
shelf, and then, although it wns still
early, not more than 10,1 believe. I made
my toilet for tho night, turned out the
lamp and jumped into bed. I had placed
my pistol, n self-cocking Colt of tho largest size, under my pillow, but no sooner
was the lamp out end nil was dark than
the tales told by the New York police
came forcibly to my mind, and I almost
regretted not having posted a sentinel inside the little fort. Then I felt like
laughing at myself for such absurd apprehensions. Still I could not sleep. I
was just dozing off when a rat skurrying
along or the wild scream of some passing
sea-gull would rouse me with n start to
toss and fret for another quarter of an
hour.
"At lost Bleep esmo; culm, peaceful,
dreamless sleep. How long I slept I
have no idea; perhaps 'for an hour, perhaps for two. Then, from within my
very room, of which I had seen every
window barred, overy door bolted nnd
locked, there came a long, low, moaning
cry, ending with a shriek so horrible, so
ghastly, that I am not ashamed to say
that, ns I rose in my bed, my heart seemed
to stop for n moment and my hair rise,
stiffening on my bend."
.. v *'It;wn9 but for w, a moment. .«At faint
light—Jronx .the Iw-ming' inooh otuhe m
through the shutters, und, as Irene there
rose across the room a long, white figure!
What? I saw it start from the floor and
grow to a mnu's size or nioro mid, as I
gazed, board thut dreadful shriek! What?
No matter. It wns something, and with
its presence returned all my uoinh-itive-
ness and anger; hot, fiery wroth was my
only feeling."
" 'Somo scoundrei,' said I to myself, 'is
playing me a trick. Some of those
pirate-smugglers have arranged a. ghost
for me, huve they? Well, we'll see who
can piny ghost tho liest!'
"As I rose I had tnken my six-shooter
from under tho pillow, nnd now I called
out: 'Who are you? What are you doing
there, you scoundrel? No reply. 'Who
ore you? Answer, or Til shoot.' Still
there whs silence. My pistol wns pointed
a little above the center of the figure, nnd
again I cried; 'Answer, or TU shoot:'
No answer came, and I pulled tho trigger. I was sure of my aim, but yet the
bullet seemed to bury itself harmlessly
into the-wall beyond. Lowering my aim
I sent another bell somewhat lower, nnd
then n third, almost to the ground. Still
the figure neither moved nor si>oke. There
it stood, white, ghastly, and uninjured by
lead. As the third shot left my pistol I
leaped from the bed nnd rushed upon the
shadow form. A box of cartridges lay
upon the table and these I thrust into the
breast pocket of my night-dress. Cocking my revolver as I ran, I tried to seize
the intruder with my left hand, flinging
myself with all force upon him.
"Horrors! An instant later I was
thrown down, down. I knew not how
far or where. The floor seemed to. havo
opened and swallowed mo up. With a
crash I came to the bottom of the pit,
bruised, bleeding and in utter durkneaa.
"Confused, half luiconscions, I straggled to my feet, and once more there
came, first tho moaning cry, and then the
dreadful scream which had roused me
from my sleep.
"You know how littlo superstition there
is in my nature—somo say, indeed, too
little, for it is difficult for me to believe
in anything not patent to the senses; but
at that moment there crept into my soul
a grizly fear of something not of this
world. A shudder ran through my frame.
I could feel my eyes dilate and open, to
their utmost, and a sweat cold as kw,
mingled from my btoj with the., blood
trickling from my wounds. All wns still
as death. I tried to/'shout; my thront,
dry, parched and contracted, refused its
office. No sound cuiai- to break that
horrid silence. I fcfniiii€>d my eyes into
the black olisenirity-which enoompiissed
them with a dHrknessWluoh could be felt,
which pressed nponird, which seemed to.
hold ms, breathless, ::.!in its infcmul em-,
brace. A* void; vaeftMthe universe, narrow as the tomb.^^ shuddering feet
stood upon a mmetlAg dark,, dark and
cold as if they '•*este-|j*pon a nest of ser-
pents; above, sroiind^k silent pall of urn
utterable obscurity^; My elbow touched
the wall, I.stnrtod,i*if stung by a scorpion or as if ghostl^rrnds had seized me
from the nameless ^mystery which Iny
around. My- heart Estopped nnd then
Kent the blood whiijiiig to* the brain in
sickening force. W^Imad? Was this
a fever-born drctun'r^
"Some dreadful ill-fig. cold, slimy, ns
was everything in.^his hideous place,
crawled or wrigglcdifjoiii under snd br-
side n-j feet. Spotted und >',r«en begun
to dunce like deni'in^oves •:» tho distanco
- formed p:obiibry.*by pressure of the
blood upon UiebrainjHn'l nerves.
"I have twice or thrice since then faced
whut seemed iiko prco-dilc death without
much feeling about,th*e. mutter, but the
foe waa visible, tangible; not it hidoous
void liko. thnt I faced ' rhr.t November
night. vlVj-,
••A.-jain I tried; to cidl onl, and this time
a faint, hoarse soiui|t,. which seemed to he
tho voice of another,^issued from my lips.
"I had struck my'head violently in the
rapid descent, bntigradually my senses
returned and drove off the nameless
dread, only to raphico • it with n feeling of
helplessness, ahno&f of despair. Tho air
-«-as bitterly eold, cold with a vuiUt-liko
chill which stiffened my limbs (clad ns I
was only in a siii^lfb'nen garment) to tho
bone. But, with ~thq return of thought
enmo tho bettor fooling of a wish to at
least struggle for%.cxistenee. I tried to
collect my ideas, tp'in some manner explain how tho strange ..thing could possibly have happenodi, It was till like reasoning around i^'cirjlri
"What. 4ia«^jSii.iii^.niy roomV How.
camo it thero? What bad* jt done, to me?
How could I possibly huve gone through
the floor? Where had I gone? 'Jlirongh
whet agency? Ho back again, to who had
been in my room? How came it thero?
and so on through the round again. Tho
more I thought the more inexplicable
became the whole affair, but nt least I
could now think not ::hiver in nameless
terror."
"I knew not where I wns, but I felt
sure that no sound I could make would
reach the men, nli of whom were outside
the fort. Even front the ground floor
room it was quite ccrt'iiu thnt. especially
on Biieh a night with, tho waves beating
against the sides of the islet, no mero report of it pistol could lie beard ut such n
distance.
•'Where coiUd I l>e? Was this some
trick of tho thieves who had held tho deserted fort so long? It was dark only ns
a windowleKs vault can lie even at night.
No one ray to show me if the place were
large or small - a cellar or u well. By
what possible agency could I have been
thus hurled into the pit? I had paced
over the whole room und there certainly
wns no opening in the floor unless it had
lieen most carefully nuisked. Besides
this. I felt suro that my fall had been
mnch greater than the distance from tho
room I slept into the cellar. My brain
was still somewhat clouded by the blow
my head hail received, snd,. which I
thought had been struck just before my
fall, or rather, before my being violently
thrown downward.
"Fortunately my pistol was still in my
hand imd the bos of cartridges in my
pocket I felt carefully for the wall,
placed my buck against it and, determining to sell my life dearly if attacked,
waited a moment in silence. All was
still. Tailing the box ns noiselessly as
possible from the pocket of my night
shirt I reloaded '.ay pistol. Still nothing.
But I Mils freezing. Tlie slimy stones
beneath my bare Teet were rapidly chilling my blood. If I fire iny*pistol; I
thought. I may see where T uiit. I fired
twice.
'•It wiis the cellar which I had already
visited! I had only, then, fallen 10 or 12
feet. I at once remembered that to this
cellar there was a door leading1, by an external flight of stone steps to the ground
in front of the room in which I had slept
Another shot showed me the door, on
which, however, there was a heavy old-
fashioned lock without a key. Half a
dozen shots from my revolver broke the
rusted iron--nnd I wns free!'
-"Covered -with blood and slime, I stood
at lougth beneath tho stars; my head
ached violently, my teeth cluittcred with
cold, but I wns free! O, delight, of that
moment! Free!
."My first feeling was that it was my
duty to call some of the men and search
the house; hut that I could not bring myself to do. No. I must not be seen by
them in such a plight nor must they
come until I had aolved the mystery. My
own outer door was too securely bolted to
force open; but, making my waythrough
another entrance, I easily blew the look
off on inner door of .communication.
Grasping my pistol tightly, I cautiously
entered. There, directly across tho room
wns the figure!
**B:ing! bang! imd I sent two more
bullets crashing through it. Whatever it
was, it certainly "was no living thing. H
not, what then? What or who hud
struck mo that blow?. What hud opened
the solid floor and cast me into the pit
btneath? With eye and c. r upon tlie
alert, ready for foe. linra;**i or other, I
reached tho table where the lamp stood
und folt for u mutch. None. But.I had
some in my pocket. My clothes were
upon tho other side of the bed. I went
slowly around, found tho matches, came
back to tho table, and, keeping my pistol
in'my right hand, removed the globe and
chimney of the lump, struck n light, took
u hurried look shout tho room, put the fire
to tho wick, replaced tho chimney, snd
turned again to that white mystery.
"There it stood; but what it was I could
not even guess: • Ono thing was certain, it
had not been thero when I went .to bed.
In the light it looked like a great white
l)ox some ten feet high, open on the sides,
and standiug ugainot tlie wall opposite
tho foot of-my bed. Taking up the lamp
I wnlkcfd towards'it. What is thnt on
top? By'hoavens, it iB my trunk!
"What do you think tho ghost wns? It
was: nn old, wlute-painted dumb-wniter
loading to the former kitchen. My trunk
hud chanced to lie placed directly on its
top, which was level with nnd formed
p:irt:of the fiOoe: The jur -nnd ithfifoot-
stops'hadlooscneditsoldwoights. I bud
taken the. tray of clothes from tho trunk,
mid the dumb-waiter, gradually loosened,
h:'d tuiot up, us such filings will ut times
do a conplo of hour-* later. It had long
been disused and the shelving removed.
When, therefore. I rushed ut it I hnd
simply fnMcn into v. hole, somo three feet
by two in tho floor between the clova-
tor'n sides; hud ut nick tho Itottom board,
the iiiac'hini- bad gone down with me.
and, my weight n-inovcd, hnd again risen.
I had knocked my head against some
corner as I fell, hnd come down very hard
on the stono paving iu the former kitchen,
had cut myself on somo projecting edge,
for 'there were two pretty bad places
from which the blood still dripped—nnd
that was my ghost: that tho mysterious
agency which had 'hurled' me into that
•awful' pit
"Did you ever hear of a ghost doing
more? I never hoard of one who could
do half so mucli.
''But'* just think if I hnd gone, barefooted and bedraggled, railed up my men,
and led them on to combat with—an old
white duinb-waitcr!"
A Ghastly Hanging;.
London*, Nov. 30,- A ghastly nnd up-
paling spectacle was witnessed at Norwich to-day. Robert Goodule, n market
gnrdner, who was convicten of tho murder
of his wife, wns brought out upon the scaffold to bo hanged. The culprit since his
incarce**ation had grown fat und weighed
fully. ,210 pounds. After the death warrant had been read nnd everything made
ready, the drop wns sprung and the condemned mnn fell n distance of six feet—
His heavy weight caused the drop to re-
Itound violently, jerking tho head completely off the body. The headless trunk,
together with the head, fell, upon the scaffold, the blood spurting und gushing in
all directions. The severed head lay at
thu feet of the victim, tho muscles of tho
face contorting in a most'hideous manner,
whilo the eyelids ojiencd and closed a
number ot times. Altogether the sight,
was most sickening. The coroner's jury
exonerated the hanginnn from nil blame.
The doctor present stutcd that tho horrible death wns far more merciful than
strangulation
"Struck down" as the barber said
when he shaved the first r>rop of fuzz
from a youth's chin.
CALUMETS.
"What I Told My Wife" is tho title of
a new book. It is almost needless to say
that it is fiction.
"Good gracious" said the hen, when
she lusoovered tho po-rcelain egg in her
nest "I shall be a bricklayer yet." -:
New reporter to city edito***—"Please let
me have, a synonym for /everlasting?*"
C. R-"Certainly, make it Tlianksgiving
tuikey."
They kiss by the aid of the telephone in
Macon, Ga. That may do for the isunny
South, but in the frigid North -more aub-
stanee is required. * '
"Waiter, bring -me somo rice pudding.**
"Boss, I can't just -recommend the rice
pudding to-dsy" "What's the matter
with it?" Nuffin, 'cept ,dar ain't none"
A fashion item soys that great discretion
must be used by- wearers,of horisontsl
stripes, as they are not becoming to any
but very toll and slender figures.- Parties
contemplating a residence in the penitentiary should paste this in their hnts.-i •
"My dear" said Mr. Smith, I have just
insured my life for 810,000." "What did .
you do that for" asked Mrs. Smith. "Oh
jnsf for a bribe." "And who do you ex-
pect to bribo?" "I don't,know. 'Any fool
who will mary you after I am gone ought
to bo well paid for it." • , '■<
Joquiii Miller, telling how he and Bret
Hurte stood at the grave of Dickens, says:
"His left hand sought mine in silence, and
his eyes fill edwith tears. We had. never
lieen friends before." But that wasn't the
most wonderful part of it After Bret and
Joquiu went away Dickens got out of, his
grave and cried too.
•'Step right .into the parlor and make
yourself at home" said the nine-year old *
son of the editor to his sister's best young-
man. "Take the rooking chair and help
yourself to the'album. ' Helen' Louise is
up stairs and won't be down for sometime
yet. Has to make up her form, you know
beforo going to press." '
"Huvo you two fives for. a ten" asked a
well known man about town to Justice
Prindiville, whom he met on tlie way to
court. ''Certainly I have; I can change it
for you" roplied the1 genial judge. " Oh,
but I haven't got the ton" replied the fellow. *'I thought it youhadj^wo fives, you
could spare one of them until to-morrow."
A Binghampton couple stood liefore' u
Court street, Jeweler's window tho other
ovenuig, when tho young lady remarked;
" Gawgie, don't you think there is something porfectly lovely nliont thoso clocks?"
"Wlint do you admire so much about
them?" he. asked. "Why, don't >->u see
they—they name tho day." Tlw future
will tell if Gnwgio tumbled.
"Has this been what you nir.y term a
profitable season?" ho asked of the landlord of u seaside resort hotel tho other day.
"Well, yes, but why do you ask?" " f)h.
I mn tin insurance agent and my ».or->->:i!.y
has n risk on this building" was the reply. "But what of that?" "Nothing, only
I shall report that there is n likelihood of
this house escaping n conflagration this
sensou."
Ho "I told Mr. Bluff what you said,
Clnru -that you felt really insulted that'
he should come into your presence in his
shirt sleeves." 'Tra sorry you told him.
It is needless to make the poor fellow feel
badly about it I don't imagine he thought
about his appearance. But what did he
say?" He "Oh. he said ir had known
you objected to shirt sleeves he should
have rolled them up out of sight"
"I beg your pardon, sir, said Mr. Swell
to a friend, with whom he was holding a
heated conversation. "I lieg your pardon
I ought to understand this matter bettor
than you. I am a graduate of two colleges, sir." "You remind me" replied his
friend, "of the calf that my father used to
own, that had tho milk from two cows."
"Why, how was thnt?" "Ho was u very
large calf."
•'I hnve traveled u good deal in my
time" remarked nn elderly man. "I
have boon in railway uccidents, explosions,
battles, the craters of volcanoes, Kansas
cyclones iind African simoons, but never,
no, never, did I h-ivo my breath knocked
out of me und my --reuses so completely
dazed nt» they wero a few minutes ago.'
"How did it happen?" "Why. I gavo tho
sleeping car porter a quarter iind asked,
for 15 cents change. The look he gave
mo mude mo seasick."
Coiuisel: "Your age?" Young lady
(bashfully); "Oh, I hardly liko to tell
you." Counsel: "Yet I must insist on
knowing it Pray tell me how old you
were ten years ago?" Young lad v (cheerfully): "On, 2a" .
■^f'-~.
-*"-•■?*'